


The Long Road Ahead

by russianmango



Series: Adjective prompts [2]
Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Long, M/M, New Jersey Devils, Team Russia, Washington Capitals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-28
Updated: 2012-06-28
Packaged: 2017-11-08 18:45:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/446320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/russianmango/pseuds/russianmango
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ilya misses Alex, but the Stanley Cup is worth it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Long Road Ahead

**Author's Note:**

> This was written before the finals vs. LA... ahem.

The playoffs were fun, exciting, and intense. Ilya wouldn't trade the feeling of being in the finals, but the games were feeling longer. Alex was back in Russia, which didn't help matters either.

He followed Worlds, not that anyone would expect different, but he held his breath as Russia fell behind and cheered loudly as they pulled back to get the gold. 

It might not be his gold, but it was worth the smile he could see on Alex's face. He won it for Russia; he brought it home once more. Ilya could practically feel the joy when he heard Alex's voice on the phone. "We did it!" he yelled. Alex meant the team, but Ilya felt included somehow. Like his cheering held some kind of weight on the outcome. 

He had been worried about Alex before they won. Another playoff loss was hard to take, but went down better than the year before. He wasn't so sure a loss at Worlds would be as neutral. He proved he can still play, proved to himself he wasn't washed up. 

Ilya had to laugh, twenty-six and already fearing the worst. Granted, it wasn’t like he hadn't been there himself. But so much doubt was no good for a person, let alone one so easily steered. Alex believed what the reporters said about him because he didn't believe anyone would tell him the truth and not just what he wants to hear. They were scars from the past, perhaps, but there nonetheless. Truth isn't always pretty, but it's not always ugly.

Ilya smiled, thinking about the pout on Alex's face when he said he couldn't come back to watch. It would be too obvious, Alex never stays in America, let alone coming back to watch rivals he can see on television. The support was there, and that's all Ilya needed to know.

Still, it was a long way away and hopefully an even longer wait. Nobody ever said it was easy, but it's worth it.


End file.
